The Pull List: DAREDEVIL, TMNT, X-O MANOWAR, and More

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Welcome, Wednesday Warriors! It’s new comic book day! But before you head to the local comic shop, arm yourself with a few recommendations—add a new title or two to your list. And for you big spenders out there, we also have a complete list of this week’s releases. If you are feeling that post-holiday slump, fear not! Comic books are here to lift your spirits and give you life! You have been restored and you have the healing power of comics to thank.

As usual, we will touch on a plot detail or two below, which means you are officially entering spoiler territory. You’ve been warned, friends!

DAREDEVIL #612

This is the end of Charles Soule’s run on Daredevil, and for most of the issue, it seems like Soule and artist Phil Noto are working hard to tie up every loose end. Noto is working his usual magic and Soule is keeping things brisk and tight. It’s all coming together way too easily and then, suddenly, it swerves and swerves hard. The ending of this comic book is a major “WHOA!” moment. Love it or hate it, you can’t deny that it is a bold move. Soule’s time with this character has resulted in some truly incredible moments and we’re sad to see him go. He definitely doesn’t leave things in a nice little package for the new creative team, that’s for sure. Daredevil works best when his world is chaotic and unstable, and it’s pretty clear that Soule gets that. In the end, Soule and Noto leave us exactly where a good superhero comic book should always leave you: excited to see what comes next.

TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES #88

The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comic is consistently epic, no doubt. As the series barrels toward issue #100, it seems to be ramping up its epicness. This issue features just about every major character from this universe in a massive battle that ends with an explosive (literally) death that will make your soul hurt. Things move fast and you barely have time to catch your breath before you find out there’s a nuke in play and that a sacrifice is in order. It’s edge-of-seat action, thanks largely to David Watcher who delivers panel after panel of intense Turtle action. For longtime TMNT fans, this series continues to be the gift that keeps on giving. Turtle Power, indeed.

X-O MANOWAR #21

Matt Kindt’s X-O Manowar run is a beautiful and strange space opera filled with awesome new characters and violent alien confrontations. This issue is essentially one long fight between our title hero, his pals, and a strange cast of monsters. All you really need to know is that, at one point, X-O rips a giant bear in half. Now, if your comic book is going to feature a scene where a freaking bear is ripped in half, you probably want Juan Jose Ryp drawing it. Ryp draws bloody violence and gore better than just about anybody in the business, so when you need a bear ripped in half, he’s your guy. We love this series and all the craziness it injects into our lives.

IRONHEART #1

Riri Williams is finally getting the series she deserves. With Ironheart #1 she is stepping out of Iron Man’s shadow and into a role that makes sense for her. When the character was originally positioned as the new Iron Man, it was a little strange and never quite gained traction. The potential was there, for sure, but it just never clicked. That all changes with this new series. Writer Eve L. Ewing and artists Kevin Libranda and Luciano Vecchio have crafted a superb first issue that feels like something exciting and new. It’s fun, energetic, and engaging. You don’t need to know much about the character before you jump in here, which is perfect because plenty of folks probably haven’t followed the character’s previous appearances. This issue looks great and is a total blast, so here’s hoping that this creative team gets a nice long run on this character. We’re ready for lots more Ironheart.

AQUAMAN: JUSTICE LEAGUE: DROWNED EARTH #1

Man, Drowned Earth has been a great event. Scott Snyder and Francis Manapul’s story of the Justice League battling Lovecraftian space monsters is exactly what we want in a superhero comic book. Manapul is amazing, as always, and in this issue, he’s joined by Scott Godlewski and Howard freaking Porter, which basically means this entire issue is a work of art that should be hanging in a museum of some sort. It’s stunning, from start to finish. From the Death Kraken (yes, we said Death Kraken) to the stunning moment when an army of fish-themed superheroes rally for one last attack, this book keeps things cranked to eleven on every page. We won’t spoil the ending for you, but we will tell you that Superman has an eye patch (with his logo on it) and is dressed like a pirate for more than half of this book, so that’s a thing that happens. It’s utter insanity and we absolutely loved every second of it.

That’s it for us this week! Let us know what comics you are picking up in the comments below!